The Private Side: Don't Stand So Close To Me
by Mizraven17
Summary: Part 3 of The Private Side. This won't make sense unless you've read part's 1 and 2. It's been four months since Charlotte had the twins, but now something's wrong and Cooper just doesn't know how to help. This story contains ANGST!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, here's part 3. And I'm pretty sure none of you were expecting what's about to happen. There is ANGST. So please be warned.

Thank You to The Mind's Eye for being my awesome Beta!

Chapter One

"Don't touch me," Charlotte growled, shoving his hand away from her. "I mean it, Cooper. I'm not in the mood!"

"Damnit, Charlotte. It's been four months since the twins were born and you still won't let me hold you! What is your problem?" he asked as he rolled onto his back to spite her. "This is getting stupid!"

"I don't have time for this." She pushed back the covers and stomped over to her dresser. Grabbing her clothes for the day, she walked into the bathroom and before she slammed the door, called over her shoulder, "And don't call me stupid!"

"I did _not _call you-" He stopped mid-sentence. There was no point. Something had changed with Charlotte after the girls were born. She was different now. He just didn't know why.

It had started slow; her withdrawal. But it was now to the point where there was at least a foot between them when they slept. And although she would never admit it outright, he knew how much Charlotte liked to be held when she slept. But now, she wouldn't let him near her and he honestly didn't know what to do.

He was losing her and he didn't know how to get her back.

Xxx

Charlotte stood gazing at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. What she was seeing wasn't right and the tears certainly didn't help matters. They made her look weak and defenseless. But she couldn't make them stop. The more she wiped, the harder they fell.

Looking after three children under the age of two was starting to take its toll. She felt exhausted all of the time. She couldn't remember the last time she'd worn clothes that weren't loose or covered in spit-up.

Charlotte tugged on a lock of her hair. It looked limp and lifeless. She dragged a brush through it and then put it up into yet another messy ponytail.

It was just after 7am and the kids would be waking up soon. Caiden had just started sleeping through the night but Charlotte still had to get up twice, sometimes more, to feed the girls. With Cooper working, it fell on her to do the night-time feeds. When he'd get in, Cooper would make dinner and give the babies their baths. That was her only chance for quiet time.

Which was great at first. But now, the more time she was left on her own, the darker her thoughts would get. And it was beginning to scare her.

Charlotte wondered how long she could last before she snapped. Judging by the way she'd been acting with Cooper, she knew she was close to her breaking point.

Xxx

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Vi. She won't talk to me. She won't let me touch her. She barely even talks to me!" Cooper said as he paced the floor in Violet's office. "I think-"

"Don't go there, Coop. You know it's not true," Violet interrupted. She took a sip of her coffee then placed the empty cup down onto the table. "And stop pacing. You're making me dizzy."

Cooper stopped in front of the sofa and threw himself down onto it. "I don't think she loves me anymore," he confessed.

"I told you not to go there!" she shouted. "It's ridiculous, Cooper."

"It's not! I'm telling you. That's what it is. It has to be. I can't believe it." He put his head into his hands and felt tears well up in his eyes. "She's the love of my life. I gave up everything to be with her and now I don't know what I'm doing wrong. She won't let me touch her and I don't just mean the naughty kind. I tried to wrap my arm around her this morning and she nearly bit my head off!"

"Have you tried asking her what's wrong?" Violet asked.

"Of course I have! And it resulted in our fifty-seventh argument this week. This is serious, Violet. I feel like I'm losing her and worse, my kids are losing their mother."

Xxx

Empty. Alone. Bereft. Exhausted. Numb.

Those words kept playing through Charlotte's head as she held her twin daughters. She'd been lucky so far. Cassie and Chloe were good girls. They were only four months old, but they weren't fussy or difficult. They always woke with a smile in the morning and at night time they were content to lie in their cribs until she got up to tend to them. She loved them. She loved all of them.

But that didn't matter. She was failing her children.

She didn't know how, but she was. She was also doing the one thing she'd promised Cooper she wouldn't do anymore. She was shutting him out.

In her defense, she was trying to protect him. If he got close enough, physically and mentally, then he might not like what he saw. And she couldn't bear that. Charlotte couldn't handle seeing that look on his face again. And she would. If he saw the dark inside her then he'd leave and take her babies with him. She wasn't strong enough to deal with that.

She placed the girls in their baby swings and made her way to the kitchen. She pulled out a pen and a pad of paper and started writing the week's grocery list. When she finished, she walked over to tack the list on the fridge. As she put it up, she gasped at what she'd written.

It didn't make any sense. Her writing was all gibberish.

What the hell was wrong with her?

Xxx

"Char, I'm home!" Cooper called out as he closed the front door behind him. "I picked up some Chinese food." Cooper wandered further into the house and was baffled by the silence. "Char?"

After checking all of the rooms downstairs, he made his way up the stairs. He looked into Caiden's room and saw his son asleep in his crib. He walked further into the room and placed a kiss on his son's forehead.

He checked the twin's room. Empty. He walked along to the master bedroom and saw all his girls asleep.

He felt guilty. He knew it wasn't easy for Charlotte with him working crazy hours and leaving her home to care for the children.

He thought about moving the girls to their room but decided against it.

Cooper quietly got changed and slipped into bed. He reached over across Charlotte and turned off her bedside light.

"What's going on with you?" he whispered into her ear. "I love you so much, Charlotte. I wouldn't survive if I lost you. I need to help you, but I can't unless you talk to me.

Cooper sighed when Charlotte rolled over to face away from him. Even in her sleep she didn't want him near her. He scooted back over to his side of the bed, closed his eyes, and prayed that tomorrow would be a better day.

What he didn't see, however, was the shaking of Charlotte's shoulders as she sobbed silently into her pillow.

TBC

A/N 2: So pretty angsty? Yeah I know, but this is something that I haven't seen explored in any fics I've read, so I wanted to give it a shot.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"What is that awful smell?" Charlotte asked as she walked into the kitchen. "It smells like a take-out dumpster in here!"

"Oh, I brought food home for us last night but I left it out. Sorry, I'll take care of it," Cooper answered, picking up the bag and taking it out.

"Whatever." Charlotte poured herself a cup of coffee. "I'm gonna get Caiden ready. I'll see ya later."

"Wait, Charlotte," Cooper called as he walked back inside. "I thought we could talk."

"I don't feel like talking," she responded as she made her way back up the stairs.

Cooper let out a huff. "I can't take this anymore!" he shouted to her back. "Something's wrong with you. Or is there something wrong with us?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a hard edge to her voice.

"Do you still love me?"

Charlotte's eyes widened at his question and for a moment she was lost for words. "I don't know what you expect me to say to that."

"A simple yes or no would be nice," he answered.

"Well, you know what, Cooper. If you really need to ask me that, then I guess you already got your answer." With that she continued up the stairs and slammed their bedroom door closed behind her.

Xxx

After seeing his last patient for the day, Cooper contemplated going to talk to Violet. The good thing about having a psychiatrist as a best friend meant he got free advice from time to time. But lately, it seemed constant. Every conversation he had with Violet revolved around Charlotte and her inability to confide in him.

Cooper checked his watch. 6:10 p.m. He didn't have time for shrinking right now. He'd gotten home late last night and if he wasn't careful, he'd be late again tonight. And that wasn't fair to Charlotte at all.

He knew he had to do something before he lost his family. He just wasn't sure what.

Xxx

When Cooper arrived home that evening, he was almost too nervous to go inside. He clenched his hands on the steering wheel and turned his head to gaze at his house. His home.

They had to stay together. They'd been happy before and damnit, they were gonna be happy again.

He'd nearly lost her two years ago because he hadn't fought hard enough. This time, he was gonna fight for his family. With that, he got out of the car and walked inside.

All the downstairs lights were on, but no one was there. He made his way upstairs and found Charlotte giving Caiden his bath.

"You're late again," she said without turning to face him.

Cooper took a deep breath then responded with, "I know. I'm sorry. I had an emergency patient come in."

Charlotte nodded her head but gave no verbal response.

"Where are the girls?"

"Taking a nap. They should be up soon," she answered as she continued washing their son.

Cooper took a step nearer so he could see her face. There had been no emotion in her voice or in her actions that he could see. She was bathing their son but looked a million miles away.

"Char," he all but whispered. "Is this it?"

"Is this what, Cooper?" she asked, draining the tub and drying Caiden off.

"Are we over?" He was trying so hard not to cry, but the fact she wouldn't even turn her head to look at him was heartbreaking.

"If you have to ask, isn't that answer enough?" The lack of emotion in her voice terrified him.

"I'm not moving out," he replied.

"That's fine. I've already moved my things into the guest room."

And with that, Charlotte left him standing there feeling cold and alone.

Xxx

"Cooper thinks he and Charlotte are over, " Violet announced to Addison as she stood in her kitchen opening a bottle of wine.

"What? That's crazy!" Addison shouted. "Those two are like two peas in a pod! There's no way."

"That's what I said. Well, almost." The sound of a cell phone interrupted them and Violet rummaged through her purse until she found it. There was a text from Cooper.

'_She moved into the guest room.'_

Violet let out a loud gasp that drew the attention of both Addison and Naomi nearby. She quickly replied, '_What did you say to her?'_

"What's up?" Naomi asked. "I haven't seen you this shook up in years!"

"There's trouble in paradise for Cooper and Charlotte, or so Cooper thinks anyway. Violet's been lending an ear and trying to help," Addison said, bringing Naomi up-to-date.

Violet received a text reply and it read_, 'I asked her if we were over. She said if had to ask_ that_ was my answer. Please help me!'_

"Oh shit! Guys, I think we may have a problem." Violet placed her cell phone on the table and continued, "Cooper was right. Charlotte's just moved into the guest room."

"You know, now that I think of it, something has seemed off with Charlotte lately. I mean, the only time I've seen Charlotte since their twins were born has been at their house. I've never seen her out. Have you guys?" Addison questioned. When Naomi shook her head, she turned to Violet and posed the all-important question, "Has _anybody_ seen Charlotte leave the house?"

"What are you thinking?" Violet asked in reply.

"I'm thinking you need to ask Cooper exactly how Charlotte's been acting since she had the babies." When Violet nodded her head and made a move to leave Addison added, "You want me to go with you?"

"No, it's fine. I got it. I'll let you guys know what happens." She picked up her things and made her way outside. She made a quick call to Pete to let him know what was happening and that she'd be home late.

Something told her this was going to be a long night.

Xxx

Cooper must've been watching for her. She'd just made it up the porch steps when the front door swung open.

Violet was shocked when she saw his appearance. He was clearly devastated, his clothes worn and eyes bloodshot.

"Where is she?" Violet asked as she walked inside.

"Guest room," he answered morosely. He stepped aside to let her in and made his way to the kitchen. "I'm scared, Vi."

"Of what?" she questioned. She poured herself a glass of water and took a seat at the island.

"Something is wrong with her." He took a seat opposite her and continued "Not just because she obviously doesn't love me anymore. I found this note just before you got here."

Violet looked at the paper Cooper had handed her. She could tell from the handwriting that it was written by Charlotte, but it made no sense. It was all gibberish.

"Do you know when she wrote this?"

"I'm guessing today. It wasn't there when I left this morning." He took it back from Violet and looked it over again.

Violet's voice was soft when she next spoke. "Coop, it looks like Charlotte's gonna need some help."

"I know. I'll do whatever I can," he said with a determined tone. "I can help her through this, whatever 'this' may be."

"No, Cooper, that's not what I meant." Violet looked up and told him, "You're not what Charlotte needs right now."

Cooper looked up and tried to stifle the tears that threatened to break free from his eyes. "But I want to help and I-"

"Coop," Violet interrupted gently. "Charlotte needs professional help."

"Then, it needs to be you." He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "There's no one else I'd trust with Charlotte's life."

TBC

Thanks to The Mind's Eye for being an awesome beta!

Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you sooooo much to The Mind's Eye for being an awesome beta!

Chapter Three

Cooper stood up from the table. "I need to see Charlotte before she goes."

"You mean i_f _she goes. This isn't gonna be easy, Cooper." He nodded in reply but continued to make his way to the stairs. "Cooper, stop." He turned around to face her and drew in a deep breath. "This isn't going to be an easy fix. It's gonna take time." Cooper slowly nodded his head and then leaned back against the wall.

"Do you think I should speak to her first?" he asked.

"To be honest, I don't think it'll make a difference. If she's as emotionless as you say, then neither option should faze her. She'll most likely ignore us both."

He glanced over at the brunette then continued making his way upstairs. He paused outside the guestroom door. His Charlotte was in there hurting and there was nothing he could do to help her. He contemplated knocking, then decided against it and just pushed open the door.

With the curtains drawn and no lights on, Cooper struggled to find the blonde in the darkness. He cautiously made his way over to where he knew the bed was. He pulled his cell phone out to help illuminate the room. If she was sleeping, he didn't want to wake her, so this provided just the right amount of light.

When he finally saw her, he almost wished he'd let Violet go in first. Charlotte was sitting on the edge of the bed staring blankly at the wall in front of her. He carefully made his way over to her and then knelt down by her feet. He placed his hands over her clenched fists and held on tight.

"Something's wrong, Char, and I don't know how to fix it." The tears streaming down his face were making it hard for him to see clearly. It was probably just as well, because he knew that if he looked into her eyes right now, there was no way he'd be able to say what he was about to. "I'm not what you need right now. So, I'm gonna do the one thing I know how to do and that's look after our kids."

Charlotte slowly raised her head and looked him in the eye. "You're not taking my babies away from me!"

"No! God, no! I would never! But Char, something's wrong. And you know it, don't you?" When she nodded her head once, he continued, "I've tried to help you, but it's not working. If anything, it's making things worse. You need to get better. Our babies need their momma and I need my other half." He jumped when he felt her hands move and was startled even more when she actually used her hands to wipe away his tears. "God, I love you, Charlotte. You need to pull through this." Her hand rested against his cheek and he turned and pressed a kiss into her palm.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Coop," she finally admitted.

"I know, but Violet's here. She's gonna get you through this, get us through this, okay?" She nodded in response then pulled him closer. Charlotte pressed a chaste kiss against his lips then drew back. She rose from the bed and made her way over to the door.

"I love you," she said as she made her way out of the room.

Charlotte paused when she heard Cooper call out to her and say, "I love you, too – always will."

Xxx

After leaving Cooper in the guest room, Charlotte went into the kids' rooms to say goodbye. She pressed kisses to each of their foreheads and whispered how much she loved them.

She walked slowly to the stairs, dreading what was about to happen. Charlotte saw Violet, patiently waiting in the entrance hall with a large bag over her shoulder.

"What's in the bag?" Charlotte asked.

"Clothes," Violet responded in a soft voice. From the looks of it, Charlotte was willing to do this without any interventions, which honestly shocked Violet. She'd imagined a big, dramatic scene and sobbing farewells. So the quiet, resigned Charlotte in front of her was startling. "You ready to go?"

"Where- where am I going?" Charlotte bit her lip while waiting for the therapist to reply. The thought of having to go into a psych ward was almost more than she could handle.

"My place," the brunette replied.

Charlotte offered up a small smile and then reached for her jacket. Violet had already opened the front door and Charlotte took a step towards it.

"I-I don't know if I can." She took a step back and stared fearfully at the open door.

"Can what?" Violet asked.

"Leave."

"You need to leave, Charlotte. We need to get this sorted out." Violet placed the bag down and then turned to face the blonde. She wasn't expecting to see the tears that were streaming down Charlotte's face.

"I know I need to but the thought of it terrifies me; the idea of stepping outside, leaving the kids and Cooper. I don't know if I'm strong enough to do it." Her tears wouldn't stop. She hated that Violet was witnessing yet another one of her breakdowns but she couldn't control it.

"Okay, Charlotte. Look at it this way: those children need their mother and Cooper needs his girlfriend. They're the whole reason you need to get help.

Violet knew the first battle was going to be getting Charlotte out of the house. She knew that the last time the blonde had left the house was when she'd given birth to the twins, so she understood this was going to be hard for Charlotte. What she didn't expect, however, was Charlotte's honesty so soon.

Charlotte took a small step toward the door and then looked over at the brunette. "Cooper's still gonna be here right? He'll be here waiting for me...won't he?"

"Of course he's still gonna be here." Violet impressed upon the other woman, "He loves you."

"I hope so, because without him, I'd break."

TBC

Please, please, please review! They really do make me smile!


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry for the long delay. I've had a hectic few weeks, but I'm back now and should be able to finish this soon!

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed also huge thanks goes to my beta, The Mind's Eye for making this fantabulous!

Chapter 4

When they arrived at Violet's house, Charlotte was slightly more relaxed. Her tears hadn't stopped yet, but at least she'd stopped clenching her fists, digging her short, clipped fingernails into the palms of her hands.

Violet carried in the bags from the car and led the way inside with Charlotte following closely behind. While Cooper had been talking to Charlotte, Violet had called Pete to give him an update. He'd agreed to take Lucas over to his brother's house for the time being. It would be the first time their family been separated in nearly three years. Violet would miss her guys, but she was sure she could manage it.

Violet dropped the bags in the foyer and made her way into the lounge, where both she and Charlotte took a seat on the sofa.

She looked over at the blonde who was staring blankly at the coffee table. Her tears had finally stopped but it looked like they were gonna start again soon.

"Do you want to start tonight or wait until morning?" Violet asked hesitantly.

"Do you know what's wrong with me?" Charlotte asked, getting straight to the point.

Violet bit her lip, slowly nodding her head. "I'm pretty sure I do."

"Then we start now. I can't take feeling like this anymore." She took a deep breath, confessing, "This is the worst I've ever felt. And it needs to stop – now."

"Charlotte," Violet began evenly. "I believe you're suffering from Post-Partum Depression."

Charlotte's eyes grew wide.

"PPD? How did I miss this?" She eased back onto the sofa and thought it all over. It was like all the puzzle pieces were finally falling into place. Every action of those past months spelled out PPD. Charlotte was a brilliant doctor; she knew it and so did everyone else, so how the hell had she not recognized the signs?

"Probably because you weren't looking for it," Violet told her.

This was going to be easier than she'd expected. Maybe now that Charlotte knew the diagnosis, she would cooperate fully. "Can you tell me everything that's been happening since the girls were born?"

Charlotte thought back over the previous four months and tried to pinpoint the exact moment things had started to go south. Everything had began well enough; she'd been released from the hospital two days after the girls were born and she'd settled into a routine with Cooper. But then Cooper had gone back to work and it was all left to her, but that wasn't what started it. Was it?

"I think-" She cut herself off immediately. There was no way this could be triggered by Cooper returning to work. It just wasn't possible.

"What Charlotte?" the brunette asked. "You need to be completely honest here. I know it's gonna be difficult. But you _need _to. We can't work through it otherwise."

"I think it started about three weeks after we got home." Her voice was low and subdued. Almost like she didn't want Violet to hear what she was actually going to say.

"What changed in that time?"

The fact that Charlotte had connected the dots so soon meant that Charlotte was already on her slow road to recovery. But only if the blond was honest about what triggered her symptoms.

Charlotte closed her eyes and then pulled her legs up underneath her. She wrapped her arms around them and once again tears began to fall down her cheeks. "I think it was when Coop went back to work."

"Do you blame Cooper for going back to work?"

Charlotte's head snapped up so fast and the glare that accompanied it almost brought a smile to the therapists face.

"No, of course not! Good lord, the man's a doctor. I can't blame him for wanting to help people."

"Why not?"

The glare on Charlottes face intensified and this time Violet couldn't help but smile.

"This is funny to you?" the blonde snapped. "Well, I'm glad to see someone's benefiting from my pain."

"Oh, Charlotte." Violet let out a sigh, then continued, "Cooper went back to work because he's a doctor and he helps people. There's nothing wrong with that. I know that and so do you." Charlotte had a confused look on her face but nodded her head in response. It was logical. "The point I'm trying to make, Charlotte, is that he went back to work to help people."

"Have you been drinking?" the blonde asked as she looked over at Violet. "Did you not listen to what I just said? I said I don't blame him!"

"Actually, no. What you said is you can't blame him. Not that you don't. There's a big difference."

Charlotte turned away. She didn't blame Cooper. This was all on her, she knew that, but there was something else. Violet had said that her point was that he'd gone back to work to help people and that made Charlotte stop and think.

When the blonde's eyes widened, Violet knew that she'd figured it out.

"He went back to work to help people." She looked back at the therapist. "That's his job, to help people, to make them better. But-"

After Charlotte had been silent for a few minutes Violet pushed, "Finish what you were saying."

"I wasn't ready to be on my own." For Charlotte to admit something like that, it was like turning on a tap. The words just flowed from her lips and there was nothing she could do to stop them. "Cooper helps people, but I was the one that needed help and he didn't see it. He sees everything when it comes to me, usually before I do, but he missed this. He didn't know I wasn't ready for him to leave because I never told him, but he still didn't see it – he didn't see me."

"That's when I stopped caring about what I looked like. It didn't matter to me that my clothes were always covered in spit-up. Who was gonna see me? I didn't wanna go anywhere, so no need for nice clothes. But then Coop would come home and he'd want to talk. Every time he said that, my heart would beat so fast, and I'd think 'this is it, he's gonna leave me'."

As she spoke, Charlotte could feel the weight being lifted off her chest. But she was worried she'd said too much. Violet was Cooper's best friend and the thought of this being repeated to him terrified her. "Please don't tell Cooper any of this!" she all but begged.

"I won't tell him, Charlotte, but you need too," When Charlotte shook her head, she continued, "He needs to know this."

"No, no, he doesn't. He'll think I blame him and I don't. This isn't his fault." The blonde was almost hysterical when she added, "If you tell him, he'll never forgive me, or himself, and I couldn't live with that."

Violet moved over on the sofa and wrapped her arm around the blonde. She mumbled soothing words, hoping to help calm Charlotte down.

"No one is to blame here, Charlotte. It's not anyone's fault." She slowly pulled away from the blonde and sat back against the sofa with her. "You felt abandoned. There's nothing wrong with that and you can't help how you feel. You've been through a lot this past three years and you've handled it all remarkably well. You'll get through this and I promise you, Cooper will be right there waiting for you."

TBC

Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Oh my god! I'm sooo sorry this has taken me so long to put up. The lovely The Mind's Eye beta'd this chapter for me ages ago, but work has been so mental that I haven't been able to do much of anything lately! So, thanks for being patient and thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter.

The Mind's Eye- You rock! Thanks for making this awesome!

Chapter Five

It hadn't been easy. In fact, it had been damn near impossible at times. But after so much hard work, after talking 'till she was almost blue in the face, Charlotte knew she was finally ready to move back home.

Initially, the decision to stay at Violet's house had been a tough one. However, after much discussion with Cooper, they had both agreed it was best.

On that first night, after her big cry fest with Violet, Charlotte had realized she was fighting an uphill battle. She'd stayed up all night that first night talking to the therapist about everything that had ever felt wrong in her life. When she'd finally climbed into bed that night, she'd thought about what would be waiting for her when she got home.

Cooper and her babies were the whole reason she needed to pull through this.

The first two weeks had been the toughest. Violet had relentlessly grilled her about her feelings until she'd finally snapped. Charlotte had verbally attacked Violet in any way she could. And the therapist had taken it. They both knew it was because she was being open and honest with someone who wasn't Cooper and she hated it. But the words wouldn't stop.

For Charlotte, that was her meltdown period. And when that was over, the real work had begun. No more blaming other people for her mistakes, no name calling, nothing. Just pure thoughts and how she was feeling. And it was horrible.

Charlotte was determined to make it through the process without anti-depressants. The thought of pills had, at first, filled her with relief. It was an easy fix. The dark, helpless feelings would disappear and she wouldn't have to struggle anymore. It had been tempting. But Charlotte had reminded herself she was here to get better, not fall back into old habits.

So, she'd forced herself to be honest and instead of getting the good stuff, Violet had prescribed one of Pete's crazy voodoo herbal remedies. It had helped a little bit, but Charlotte would rather be damned than ever admit it to his face.

That's when she'd seen Cooper.

She knew it had shocked him to see her so undone. He'd never once witnessed a true Charlotte King meltdown. Add to that the fact that it was almost dinnertime and she was still in her pyjamas. Yeah, he'd been shocked alright.

Hesitantly, cautiously, Cooper had made his way over towards her. When his arms had opened, she'd flown into his embrace and grabbed on tight.

"No pills, Char," he'd whispered into her ear.

Breakdown number five hundred had occurred then, but for Cooper, relief had washed through him. She was showing emotion.

He'd looked over at Violet who didn't even try to lower her voice when she'd reassured him, "This is normal, Coop."

He'd nodded and continued to hold Charlotte while she'd sobbed against his chest.

When Charlotte had calmed, she automatically withdrew from his embrace. Once she'd realized what she'd done and seen the look of hurt on Cooper's face, she stepped right back into his arms. The sigh that had brushed against her hair brought a small smile to her face.

"When you're ready, I'll be here." Cooper pressed a brief kiss to her lips and then headed for the door.

"Cooper!" He turned at her voice and looked back over at her. "You promise?"

"More than you know."

Once she'd started making progress in the talking sessions, Violet had felt it would be good for Charlotte to start seeing her kids. Charlotte had been adamant she wasn't ready yet. She didn't feel okay enough to be responsible for her babies. But then Charlotte had realized how much she missed them. The sounds of their laughs, the look on their faces when she'd play with them, the way Caiden had just learned how to say 'momma'.

Cooper had arrived the following day with all three kiddies in tow. Violet had steered clear of the reunion, but Charlotte knew the therapist was nearby should Charlotte not handle the visit well. But she had. She'd spent time playing with Caiden, who'd reached for her as soon as he saw her and she'd sung the girls to sleep.

She was beginning to see the good things again.

Charlotte knew she was far from cured, but she was making progress, and that was reassuring.

Slowly, their visit's started to become a regular thing. And the better Charlotte was getting, the more things she wanted to do with her babies.

One day, Cooper and the kids had been there for about two hours when she had announced she wanted to take the kids for a walk. Cooper had looked over at Violet with wide eyes and the therapist had smiled in response. Once they had arrived back, Charlotte had fed and changed all three kids, brushed a kiss across Cooper's mouth and then retired upstairs.

That was the first night she'd gone to sleep with a smile on her face instead of tears.

Xxx

"So, it's my fault?" Cooper demanded.

"Did you not listen to what I just said? God, you're as bad as Charlotte. Selective hearing, the pair of you!" Violet said, half-joking.

Cooper aimed a glare at the brunette, who retaliated by sticking out her tongue. After several seconds of Cooper trying to hold his glare in place, a smile finally cracked through.

"She felt abandoned, Coop. She doesn't blame you, so you shouldn't blame you. Charlotte knows that she should've told you how she was feeling. But at the time, she didn't realize how serious this all was."

Cooper nodded in response. "When Charlotte confided in me, she told me not to blame myself. I assured her I wouldn't, but it's kinda hard not to, you know?"

"I know. But it's not your fault." Violet reached out and grabbed one of Cooper's hands. "Believe me, Coop. This isn't on you."

"But how did I miss it?" He clasped her hand tighter. "Seriously, I mean, I was there. All the clues were there, but I still missed the fact that my girlfriend was suffering from PPD. How?" He shook his head and continued to silently berate himself.

"Neither of you were looking for it."

Cooper slowly nodded his head. That made sense. But now, he had to do his part to help fix this. The question was, what could he do to show Charlotte he was in this for the long haul?

TBC

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